Internal-combustion engine.



INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

lAPPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 1911.

Witnesses.

- Patented Nov;25,1`913.

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J. MUKEGEN-I-E. INTERNAL ooMBUsTIoN ENGINE.

APPLIOATIONIILBD NOV. 23. 11911. 1,079,422. Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

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V y Inventor.

Witnesses.

J. MOKEGHNIE. INTERNAL ICOMBU'STION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED Nov. ze; 1911.

1,079,422, l Patented Ndv.25,1913.

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-to ignite the fuel as .1n-Furness, in

' UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFIoE.

JAMES MCKECHNIE, 0F BARROW-IN-FURNESS, EN GI'JAND, ASSIGNOR T0 VICKEBS LIMITED, 0F BARROVV-IN-FURNESS, ENGLAND.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE. 4

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, JAMES MGKECHNIE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, res1ding at Naval Construction Works, Barrowthe county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of'which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal -combustion engines for burning crude and the heavier fuel oils and to that type of engine in which the fuel is sprayed into the engine cylinder about the 'time that the pistonarrives at the inner end of the compression stroke, a charge of air previously admitted into the cylinder being compressed during the aforesaid compression stroke to a very high degree of compression which raises the temperature of the air toa sulcient extent soon as it is sprayed into the cylinder. In this class of engine it has been customary to introduce the fuel into an atomizer preparatory to its entrance to the cylinder, and to discharge the fuel from the atomizer by highly compressed air which enters the atomizer from a storage tank connected with an air compressor.

The present invention has for itschief object to dispense with the aforesaid air compressor and storage tank, and to substitute therefor a simple and efficient device'for introducing the fuel into the cylinder in the form of spray which will materially simplify the construction of the engine, and reduce its cost of manufacture.

According to this invention the fuel is injected into the cylinder suddenly and as a spray through fine holes without any admixture of air and under an extremely high spring pressure, in such a manner that on entering the cylinder (where the pressure though still very high is much bel-ow that to which the liquid has been subjected) the fuel spray instantly vaporizes owing to the sudden reduction of pressure in conjunction with the high temperature of the compressed air into which it enters. To effect this sudden injection at the extremely high pressure necessary I employ a powerful spring acting on a piston or plunger in a chamber into which a definite charge of Specification of Letters Patent. Application led'November 23, 1811.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913. Serial No. 661,995.

liquid is forced by a pump, the spring being compressed either by the liquid or by external means. When the charge is allowed to pass into the cylinder, either by opening a needle valve or releasing the spring, it is forced with great velocity under the yeX- treme pressure given by the spring, through the fine holes at the cylinder end of passage into the cylinder, vaporizing at the moment of entry.

:clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which s* n Figure l isa sectional elevation of fuel lntroducing apparatus constructed in -accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a detached view Aof a pneumatic arrangement for operating the fuel introducing plunger, and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a modi- -ied arrangement of fuel introducing apparatus. v

A indicates the engine cylinder, B the piston, C the fuel introducing plunger` and l) the spring.

As shown in Fig. 1, the

a powerful coiled rod c and a cross piece c2 which is vconnected to the plunger casing c3 by the bolts 0*. Tohe upper end of 4the rod c terminates in an open frame 05 which carries a roller o for engagement with a cam o7 mounted upon a shaft es driven from any convenient part of the engine. The charge of fuel to be forced into the cylinder A is admitted into a chamber o, from a suitable measuring um E which is separated from such chamber y a non-return valve e. This pump comprises a plunger e operated from an eccentric e2 on a shaft e3 which may be driven from any convenient part of the engine, the inlet va ve e4 of the pump being controlled from a cam e slidably mounted upon a key von the shaft le" and adapted to regulate the amount of time that the inlet valve is to remain open during the downward or delivery stroke of the plunger e. The chamber a is arranged in open communication with the the inlet.

In order that my said invention may be l propriate valve.

part of the engine.

spring D and owing form of a spray into the. engine cylinder A,

cylinder A through a passage a having a cap a2 with a number of small spraying apertures, the arrangement being such that when the engine piston B is at or about the inner end of its compression stroke, the spring is released by the action of the aforesaid cam, with the result that the plunger C forces the fuel under heavy pressure (for example from 2000 to 6000 lbs. per square inch) throughthe small apertures in the valve closes the fuel passage to the engine cylinder, any fuel delivered by the plunger e of the fuel measuring pump raises the fuel actuating plunger C against the pressure of the spring D and itself becomes subject to heavy pressure. As soon as the valve F is opened, the spring D at once forces the plunger C to the lower end of its stroke, thereby discharging the fuel into the engine cylinder in the form of a spray through the apertures in the cap a2. Any hammering between the disk .c and the top of the plunger casing f3 is conveniently prevented by inclosing such disk in a cylinder c, the air within the cylinder below the disk c acting as a cushion as the disk approaches the top of the casing c3.

The invention hereinbefore described may be applied to engines of the two or four cycle type.

4lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1- 1. In an internal combustion engine of the kind in which liquid fuel is injected into a charge of compressed air in the cylinder, a fuel pressure chamber having a resilient pressure applying member, means for supplying liquid fuel to the pressure, chamber, and engine driven lnechanism connected mechanically to the resilient member and adapted to radually store energy in the resilient mem er and subsequently to quickly release it to suddenly inject the liquid fuel under extreme pressure from the pressure chamber into the engine cylinder.

2. In an internal combustion engine of the kind in which liquid fuel is injected into a charge of compressed air in the cylinder, a fuel pressure chamber having a piston, a resilient pressure applying member eective on the piston, means for supplying liquid fuel to the pressure chamber, and engine driven mechanism connected mechanicall to the resilient member and adapted to` gra ually store energy in the resilient member and subsequently to quickly release it to cause the piston to suddenly mj ect the liquid fuel under extreme pressure from the pressure chamber into the engine cylinder.

3. In an internal combustion engine of the kind in which liquid fuel is injected into a charge of compressed air in the cylinder, a fuel pressure chamber adapted to receive the liquid fuel unmixed with air, a powerful spring adapted to subject the fuel to extreme pressure, a pump supplying the fuel to the said pressure chamber, and a power driven cam adapted to compress the s ring during the supply of unmixed liquidp fuel to the chamber and to release the spring for the sudden injection of the fuel into the cylin'der.

4. In an internal combustion engine of the kind in which liquid fuel is injected into a whereupon the compressed charge of air therein ignites the fuel in the usual manner. In the alternative arrangement shown in Fig. 2, a pneumatic spring is substituted for the metal spring shown in Fig. l. For this purpose the rod c is fitted with a piston e9 that -is inclosed within a cylinder @1 0 supplied through the passage c with air at high pressure. The action in this case' is the same as that already described, the air admitted under pressure to the cylinder 019 being further compressed therein as the cam c7 raises the plunger C to the upper end of its stroke.. As soon as the stepped portion of the cam clears the roller c, the compressed air in the cylinder 01.0 act-ing upon the piston G9 instantaneously forces the plunger C to the lower end of its stroke withthe result that the fuel admitted from the measuring pump E to the pump casing c3 below the-plunger C is subjected toheavy pressure and suddenly ejected in the form of a spray into the engine cylinder A through the aforesaid apertures in the cap a2. Any hammering action of the piston o9 upon the lower end of the cylinder 01 is prevented by a by-pass 012 which enables compressed air to pass from the upper portions of the cylinder to the lower portion and thereby to form an air cushion for t-he piston as the latter reaches the lower end of its stroke..

In some cases it may be desirable toadmit the fuel to the engine cylinder through a mechanically operated needle or other ap- In the example shown in Fig. 3, F represents a valve that Ienters the chamber a and normally closes the outlet thereof to the engine cylinder. This valve is situated within a casing f carried by the upper end of the engine cylinder and is connected with 'a lever f to which a rocking motion is imparted at the appointed time through the intervention of a cam f2 fixed upon a shaft f3 driven from any suitable The passage a is in direct communication with the fuel. actuating plunger C and, in the example shown\, such plungeris actuated by a coiled metal spring D although a pneumatic spring may be substituted therefor if so desired. The mechanically operated valve F takes the place of the cam or other device for releasing the .to the fact that such on said plunger,

'to the pressure chamber,

charge of compressed air in the cylinder, fuel pressure the liquid fuel unmixed with working in said chamber, a piston mounted a powerful spring acting pump supplying the fuel and a power driven cam adapted to compress the spring and to on the piston, a

a ,release it suddenly for the sudden injection chamber adapted, to receive of the unmixed liquid fuel into the cylinder.

air, a plunger In testimony whereof I aiix my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

' JAMES MCKECHN IE. Witnesses:

HENRY KING, JN0. R. CASWELL. 

